


M.I. Combo

by Mtcoin



Category: Killer Instinct (Video Games), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2020-12-09 05:16:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20989457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mtcoin/pseuds/Mtcoin





	1. Chapter 1

Not all people are born equal. An undeniable fact of the world, some were born wealthier than others, some were born stronger, some were born smarter.

I was born with none of these.

Powerless, useless, gutless, and while I was more intelligent than your average child it was because I had to be, not because I was born this way. I hated myself for it. Every day I became more depressed. Every day I was driven closer to the edge. Every day the words of my peers became more appealing.

Until one day I finally decided to do something about it.

If I was a strong man, I would change my fate, if I were a smart man I would work around it, if I were a rich man I would pay to improve myself. Sadly I am none of those, and the only option I had involved a steep drop off my school's roof.

And for the first time I was happy, I was at peace, like nothing in the world would ever bother me again. I had no one to live for. No one to let down if I ended it all.

My childhood friend abandoned me. My father left my family when I was born powerless. My mother passed away shortly after due to illness. And my dreams had been crushed.

Huh, maybe this was the right path all along. People like me weren't meant to live in this world, that became apparent when we were left behind in the genetic lottery.

I smiled as I rapidly approached the ground.

This was it wasn't it; this was my end? Huh, in a way this was fitting, a useless death for a broken kid. I would have laughed if I wasn't ten feet from hitting the ground. I closed my eyes, just a little closer.

"I'm coming, mom."

A sudden jolt.

What was that?

My eyes slowly opened, the light that had previously been fading seemed so much brighter. Was I dead?

No, I don't think I ever hit the ground.

If I wasn't dead then what happened? Better yet, why was I still floating off the ground?

"The hell were you thinking?" Came a voice that spoke in broken Japanese. Wait, a voice? Who was it? My eyes adjusted, and in front of me was a tall man. His voice gruff and his appearance frightening. He had to be at least six feet in height, and he seemed to be African American. A goatee and chiseled jaw lined his face, and his eyes were a piercing brown.

"You gonna answer or what kid?"

Oh. "Uh, what was the question again?" I asked him feebly.

Who was this guy? He seemed familiar to me for some reason. "I asked what the hell you thought you were doing."

Right, he did say that, didn't he. "Uh." Think of something quick! "I was... diving into the pool?"

I'm an idiot. His brow furrowed and a snarl was let loose. "I don't appreciate liars kid, worked with them for too long. Tell me the truth. Now."

Okay, not a good start. I could only sigh at this point and tell him everything.

It was only after I was done did he let me down from his arms. Did he have to hold me that entire time?

"So quirkless huh? Have to admit kid that's pretty rare these days." I know that. I know that better than anyone else.

"Still ain't no reason to go ending your life like that. You do that, and all you do is prove them right. Take it from me kid a strong quirk ain't everything; I've knocked people on their ass more times then I can count cause they thought that their quirk was hot shit."

It was a strange thing, a stranger being the only person actually to care. Or at least I think it's kindness; maybe it was just pity. Either way, I suppose it doesn't matter.

"Thanks for your concern, but I need to get home soon." I needed to leave I've bothered him enough with my problems.

"Hey, kid you don't have anywhere to go do you?" I froze. I lived alone ever since mom passed away and while I got to keep the apartment, well it never felt the same.

"I knew it. I've seen that look before after all. Come on let me show you something."

Wasn't this something my mom always warned me about? Never go anywhere with strangers, since when did I start ignoring that?

All logic told me to run, to get away as fast as I could. However, there was a small part of me that screamed that if I left, I would lose my one shot.

'I should leave.' I turned.

'Following this guy could be dangerous.' I took a step.

'Does it matter? I was looking to die anyway.' I was halfway to him, and he was looking at me expectantly.

'Stop turn around.' The final step. I paused, and he snorted in amusement.

"Bout time kid, come on."

We winded our way through twisting allies, and I suddenly found myself on the rougher side of Musutafu. I was never allowed here when mom was still alive.

A few small-time thugs lined the streets, and it was apparent that the vast majority of them were on some drug or another.

A few approached at the sight of me but quickly backed off when they saw who I was walking with. That was weird, they all seem to be afraid of him.

Wonder why that is. 'Maybe he's a gang leader.' He didn't look like it, but he was definitely dangerous if he had the whole neighborhood on edge with his arrival.

"Ignore them, kid, they ain't worth the time of day. Stick close to me, and they'll leave ya alone."

I nodded. Nothing else that I could do at this point. We walked for a little while longer before we came upon a building, its walls a dirty grey, and the sign hung lower on one side than it should have. The door was loose on its hinges, and the paint was peeling off of it. The sign read "Combo Gym" in faded red letters.

Combo Gym that sounded so familiar to me, yet I couldn't place it. I dawned on me that I never got his name. 'I followed a man whose name I don't even know. Maybe I hit my head on the way down.' "Ya coming or what kid?" He held the door open for me as we walked inside.

And what I saw I could never forget. Every wall was lined with newspaper, and boxing trophies stood upon shelves. There was a ring in the middle, and a few punching bags lined the walls.

"Make yourself at home kid."

"Could you stop calling me kid?" I froze, my voice unrecognizable to me.

No stutter and angry, I couldn't remember the last time I was angry. I was afraid he'd be angry, but all I received was a laugh in response. "Okay fine, what's your name then?"

"It's," Was I really about to tell this stranger my name? "Izuku Midoriya." I guess so.

"Midoriya huh, well welcome to my gym." Despite how run down the outside was, the inside seemed to be in near perfect condition. The floors were freshly polished, and all the equipment was in pristine condition.

"So whatcha think?" I smiled, the first smile I've had in a long time.

"It's wonderful."

He chuckled. "Knew you'd like it. So what do you think about going a few rounds in the ring up there?"

Was he serious? He had to have at least half a foot on me.

"Sure sounds fun." Wait. What! What the hell did I say! This wasn't me. Did this guy have some sort of quirk that changed your personality?! No a quirk like that would be too uncommon, there had to be an explanation for this. Maybe he released a passive pheromone that made people more aggressive...

"A mumbler huh." Oh no. Was I doing that out loud?

"S-sorry its a nervous habit." That was the me I remembered, meek and good for nothing.

"S'no problem. And just so you're aware kid I'm quirkless."

What? Did he? No this had to be a joke of some sorts. He was probably making fun of me. That was the most likely situation.

"You're doing it again."

Oh shit.

"I ain't making fun of ya kid I really am quirkless."

"S-sorry it's just I've n-never met another q-quirkless person." My stuttering was back... hurray.

"I already said it's fine." There was a long pause, and for a moment I was worried I had insulted him.

His next words, however, changed my life.

"Let me ask you something kid, are you tired of being "useless?" Don't try to deny it I can see it in your eyes. You've been called that before haven't you? What you did at the roof is proof enough. So let me ask you something if you had a chance to change it all, would you? Or would you stand around all day being depressed and hoping something comes along and changes your life? Well, this is that moment kid. This is your one chance to make a difference. You said you wanted to be a hero right? Who's stopping you?"

Was... Was he.

"Kid you can become a hero."

I couldn't take it anymore, and I dropped to my knees, a sob ripped through my chest as tears freely flowed from my eyes.

"Come on kid you're gonna ruin my floor." There was no bite in his words.

"Hey kid, what say we make you the first quirkless hero huh?" I smiled. The only answer that came to mind was

"Yea let's go kick some ass." He smirked.

"Good, now get in the ring and let's go a few rounds." I nodded as I put on the boxing gloves. It dawned on me again at that moment. I still never asked his name well no time like the present.

"Hey, mister I gave you my name now tell me yours." He had finished putting on his gloves at this point, and he stepped into the ring. "My name?"

He smirked once more.

"You can just call me T.J. Combo."


	2. Chapter 2

My life changed that day. I was still the worthless, quirkless wonder, but at least now I had a way to fight the pain. Even if battling my depression meant that I come home with more bruises and cuts, then Kacchan could ever give me.

In the ring at least I was an equal. I could pretend that I was someone worthwhile. I could fight back, and train to achieve my dream. In school, however, that's an entirely different story.

I sat in silence within my classroom, lest a single unguarded word sees me marked for bullying. When I was in the ring, I was someone; here I was just the schools punching bag. No one cared if I showed up with more bruises, they probably just assumed that someone else decided to join in on the "fun."

It didn't bother me anymore. It was actually kind of nice to be ignored every once in a while. The teacher always seemed to be the last one to arrive, his almost lazy way of moving around the room made him that much harder to pay attention to his class.

"Alright take your seats." His voice was slow and interrupted halfway through by a yawn. The students moved to their seats, not that it mattered anyway he wasn't going to teach anything worthwhile. The students knew it too, that was why most were playing on their phone.

"Now then, today we're going to be learning about..." His voice faded out. Anything I was going to learn in school right now wasn't necessary, at least not compared to what I was trying to learn. Not when I had brought a book about tips and tricks for boxing. I had studied this book over and over since I joined Combo-sensei's gym three weeks ago. Every page I had scanned for any missed information. Boxing styles, tips on how to throw a proper punch, workouts to give me a strong limber lower body, and breathing techniques so that I could adequately pace myself within a fight. I absorbed all of it and practiced it until it became second nature.

This was my life now. I would come to the hell that I called a school, and listen to the classes that were important while studying boxing in the ones that weren't. I almost laughed at the difference between me now and how I was when I first met him.

Combo-sensei told me that his style of boxing was "outboxing." Taking advantage of any missed swing and driving a quick and decisive punch into the openings. Out of the four widely accepted forms of boxing, there stood a triangle theory, out boxers usually had an easier time fighting against sluggers but a harder time against swarmers. And while it was only a theory, there was still some truth behind it. 

"So if Combo-sensei uses outboxing, maybe I should start practicing fighting as a swarmer. No, if I do that he will change styles again. With how strong he is, he might as well be a slugger. No, I need to practice all of them if I just focus on one then I'll never be able to adapt to a situation where I might meet someone with a counter to it."

Apparently, I was mumbling again, if Kacchan's irritated growl was anything to go by. So much for making myself a smaller target. The teacher was staring at me, his eyes hollow and bored. "Midoriya I'm sure you know all of this already, but can you at least try to pay attention?" My face flushed in embarrassment and I stuttered out an apology. He sighed as the students around him laughed at my expense. I ducked my head as he exited the room, the last period started.

The next class we had was professional development. This was the last period of the day. If I could make it through this period, then I would be free to go to the Combo Gym. My excitement at the idea showed on my face. That was strike one for me. 

The teacher stepped into the room, but I was too excited to care. It lessened, however, when he started talking about our futures, and it completely disappeared when he spoke about how all the students wanted to go into the hero course. 

And finally, dread settled in when Kacchan jumped up on his desk and went into a rant about how he was the only who could ever hope of being a hero. A few of our classmates voiced their complaints, but they quickly went silent when the learned of his application to get into U.A. "Oh yeah that's right, Midoriya, you applied to U.A. too didn't you." 

That was strike two. The small smirk that spread across his face didn't go unnoticed by me either.

"Oi! Shitty Deku what's the big idea, trying to apply to U.A. huh!" He slammed his hands onto the desk, small explosions singing parts of the wood. I heard the teacher chuckle behind him, and a wide smirk spread across his face.

The bastard was enjoying this. Well if he wanted a show, why don't I give him one?

I took an over-exaggerated bow toward Bakugo. "Oh, I'm sorry Kacchan, I didn't realize that the concept of free will was so hard for you to understand. I'd be happy to explain it to you if you'd like."

...

...

...

Strike three, and I'm dead.

What the hell did I just say! I must be spending to much time with Combo-sensei! The room was silent. Our teacher's mouth hung open, and the laughter around me stopped. I swore I heard a pin drop somewhere. "Deku... The fuck did you say to me?" This is bad; this is really bad. Kacchan was always angry and yelling, but this? This was quite seething anger and a tone of voice that I had never heard before. He seemed eerily calm about all this. At least that was how he acted before an explosion blew me against the back wall.

"That's enough, Bakugo." The teacher's angered tone sounded throughout the room, the surprise all but gone from his voice. I'm sure the only reason he even stopped Kacchan was that he could lose his job for not interfering. Kacchan released a low growl before stomping back to his desk. "Midoriya return to your seat." Yea right. It's not like I just received an explosion to the face or anything.

I stood up my body staggering, and my mind reeling. God, I might have a concussion, but hey, at least I'm not dead.

Class ended shortly after that. Not a moment too soon if I wanted to live. The living, breathing, and very pissed off atom bomb that I had once called my best friend stopping me before I could even make it out of the door. "What the fuck was that Deku!" He grasped my shoulder and let loose a series of small explosions. I grit my teeth as I felt the skin underneath my uniform smolder. I was sure it was going to leave a burn mark. Another scar to add to the collection. Well, at least this one isn't on my chest.

I stayed still, no use trying to aggravate him more if that was even possible. 'Keep your breathing steady and try your best to ignore the pain. Let it fuel your drive.' After all, it was just another reason to visit the gym. 'Stay calm, don't give him a reaction. It was working for all of ten seconds before Kacchan ripped my boxing journal off my desk.

His lackies from before walked behind him asking what he had grabbed; he didn't even take his eyes off me when he turned it around to show them the title. "Boxing Strategies For The Future?" The first one asked his long fingers stretching out to grab it from Kacchan's hand; the lackie retracted them; however, when his grip stayed firm.

Kachan opened the book looking down at the words. Probably trying to glean a little information from it without seeming interested. "The fuck? It's in fucking English." The lackies looked over his shoulder as if to confirm what he said. English had become a second language to me. Combo-sensei insisted that I learn it so that he wouldn't have to talk in "your gutter excuse for a language."

"G-G-Give it back K-Kacchan." I hated how my voice stuttered whenever I talked to him. "Huh? The hell you say to me?!" Another explosion made contact with my gut slinging me into the wall near the window. I remained quiet until a few small crackles went off in the room, and when I finally looked up time seemed to slow down around me as he slapped my notebook in between his hand's singing the cover and a few pages with it.

"Get it out of your thick skull Deku you can't be a hero. Don't even try to attend U.A.,"

"S-stop it Kacchan I-I-I." Another explosion left me quiet and quivering. He crouched low and grabbed the front of my shirt.

"Why the hell would U.A. want someone like you when they could have me, huh? Just give up Deku. Most people are born to do great things, people look at them, and even from a young age, they see potential. That's how I am Deku. People look at me, and they see the next number one hero. That's not ego talking; I'm, just that good." I heard the quiet voice of the second lackie mutter, "No, that's just ego." under his breath.

With that, Kacchan stood up, yet I remained on the ground where I belonged. As the useless Deku, I was supposed to be. He paused at the door, turning to spit one last insult my way.

"Hey Deku, there is one way for you to become a hero." I looked up.

'What was this was Kacchan trying to be nice? No that doesn't sound like him at all.' His mouth opened again, and I couldn't help but hold my breath. "You can go jump off a roof and hope you get a quirk in the next life." And with that he left, no other words were said, none were needed. The message was clear enough.

It was only when I had gotten outside that I realized that they had thrown me notebook out the windows, letting the fish suck on the charred remains. "Come on, guy give that back; It's not for you to eat." I grabbed the remains from the water before walking home. I should have been surprised that Kacchan said something like that, I should have been angry, furious even. All I felt was a hollow, gnawing pain. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. 'No. I can't give up on my dreams yet, not while I still have a chance.' Fist raised into the air I walked out of the school, unknowingly into the arms of a villain.

I passed under a bridge on my way to Combo-sensei's gym, choosing to walk the longer route to help clear my mind a little. Lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice a thick sludge-like substance oozing up from a nearby sewer grate. The slime raped around my body, locking my arms in place before it filled my mouth, blocking my airflow. "That's it, kid, this will only hurt for a second." His voice was pure malice and grated on my ears. My body started going limp, and my vision was going dark. 'So this is how I die? I guess it's not as bad as it could be.' I could barely feel the pain anymore. A smile spread across my face. Maybe I could finally be free.

"IT IS FINE NOW!" No way.

"WHY? I must be dreaming.

"BECAUSE I AM HERE!" It's really him.

"DETROIT SMASH!"

The slime flew off my body and splattered against the street. 'I can't believe it. It's All Might.' The thought drifted through my mind before I fell unconscious.

Izuku woke suddenly to All Might leaning over him and repeated slapping to the side of his face. "Hey... Hey Kid. You All Right There, Young Man?" Izuku froze. In front of him stood the man he had considered his hero since he was four. All Might was standing in front of him in all his glory. "A-A-All Might!" He screamed as the hero winced at the volume. "Yes It Is I All Might, I AM HERE. I Apologies, For Getting You Caught Up In My Villain Hunt, Young Man!" All Might held up two plastic bottles filled with the sludge villain that had attacked him.

"How did you even manage to get him in there?" The words left his mouth before he could even stop them, luckily All Might merely choose to ignore the question. Izuku began to ruffle through his bag before pulling out a notebook. "A-All Might can I have your... He already signed it!" All Might gave a hearty laugh before saying anything for a fan. "Now Then Young Man, I Must Be Off. Hero Work To Do And Places To Be!" With that, the hero was off never noticing that Izuku had latched onto his leg until he was soaring above the building.

"What Are You Doing Young Man! Get Off! I Get That You're A Fan, But This Is Going Too Far!" Izuku tried to speak, but the wind forced his mouth closed. And besides, he refused to look like a fool in front of his idle a fourth time. "Give Me A Second To Land."

All Might landed on a nearby roof before turning to address the boy. "That Was Very Reckless Young Man. You Could Have Been Seriously Hurt. Now I Must Be Off." Izuku couldn't let him go not without asking him the question that had been plaguing his mind. "W-Wait, please. I need to ask you a question." The hero never turned back. "No, I Have No Time For This I Must Be Off."

"Can someone become a hero without a quirk!" The question rang through the air stopping the pro hero in his track.

"Without a quirk?" All Might asked he tried to find a way to tell the teenager no when he felt his time limit kick in. Steam began to pour off of his form, muscles seemingly disappearing into thin air. All this time, the young boxer had yet to look up rambling into the ground about how he wanted to save people. And finally, when he raised his head to see the depowered form of All Might the only thing to come out of his mouth was "Imposter!"

All Might stared incredulously at the child, before letting loose a long sigh. He slumped and slid down into a seated position against the railing enclosing the rooftop. "Five years ago an enemy did this to me," he lifted his shirt to show the mangled twist of flesh that made up his left side. Izuku gasped in surprise at the sight of it. "My respiratory system was nearly destroyed, and my stomach had to be removed. I can only do hero work for about three hours a day, what you see now is how I look for the rest of the time."

"You mean your fight with Toxic Chainsaw?" The hero slightly smiled, glad someone paid attention to his past glories. "No, that villain might have gotten a few good hits in, but nothing that would do this much damage. This was from a fight that most people don't know about. I always have to be the "Symbol of Peace' I'm supposed to be the guy that's always wearing a fearless smile, right? The truth is I smile to hide the fear. A hero is always ready to risk their lives, and some villains just can't be beaten without powers. So no, I don't think you can become a hero."

And with that, All Might started to walk away. He turned to cast a sorrowed gaze down at the broken kid. "It's not a bad thing to dream young man. However, you need to be realistic." He was gone. No more words were said. No more hope existed to the boy. All that was left was a gnawing sadness.

Izuku's phone vibrated in his pocket as he walked once more to Combo Gym.

Better Than Balrog: Hey kid, where the hell are you?

Better Than Balrog: And when the hell did you change my name?

Izuku chuckled at the text. Combo-sensei always managed to make him laugh. He rounded the corner sending back a text message as he walked, oblivious to the large crowd in front of him.

Itty Bitty Boxer: Sorry got caught up in a hero's capture of a villain. I'll be there soon.

Izuku closed his phone, smiling a little when he thought of hitting the gym after such a shit day. He could always count on a few matches in the ring to lift his spirits. The teen pulled a shaky breath into his lungs, trying his best to compose himself when he heard a loud, familiar explosion. His eye's shot up, and he looked in front of him at the crowd of people blocking the ally.

He pushed his way through the crowd before his eye's settled on the scene in front of him. The slime monster from earlier was there, surrounded by heroes who were doing nothing. 'Why aren't they doing anything? Someone could be seriously hur... Kacchan!' What was he doing in there! Panic filled his heart as he watched his once childhood friend choke on one of the sludge villain tendrils.

Bakugo struggled against his captor, trying desperately to break free of his captor. For a single moment however his eye's locked with Midoriya's. And he was off running at full speed towards the villain who had captured his classmate. "KACCHAN!" He ran as fast as he could dodging the heroes who tried to stop him from reaching Bakugo.

"You again! You had your chance, now get lost!" A green slime shot out trying to swat away the annoying brat. Midoriya slipped under it before throwing his backpack into the sludge monsters eye. The villains hold dropped just for a second, giving Bakugo barely enough time to breath. Air-filled his burning lungs as he yelled out at the useless nerd who dared tried to help him. "The hell are you doing here, Deku!" The boy flinched reflexively at his voice before answering. His voice must have cracked a million times, and he had eye's filled with so much fear, but still, he answered.

"I don't know my legs just moved on there own, but still you looked like you were calling for help!" The world froze around them. Everyone looked at this boy in shock. The heroes who chose to do nothing, the civilians who only stood by and watched, and All Might who hid within the crowd apologizing for not being able to do more, but most of all the childhood bully in which he was trying to save.

Then the world returned to normal as the sludge villain recaptured his victim. "Get lost kid!" A thin slim tendril shot out toward the boy, and the heroes screamed out a warning. It went unheard though as the whip-like sludges made contact with a hastily raised guard. It cut through flesh and bone like so much wet tissue paper.

Two soft wet thumps were herd throughout the alleyway as the onlooker stared in shock. Finally, the pained scream of the boy rang out.

"My... My ARM'S!"

And then the world went quiet for the boy.


	3. Chapter 3

The world ran by in an instant as his vision faded in and out of focus. He could hear the paramedics screaming around him, as muffled as it was. 

"He losing to much blood!"

"Shit, this is bad! I don't know if we can save him!"

"Hang in there young man, don't die on us yet!" 

Was he dying? What were they even talking about? Why was everyone panicking? They were hurting his head with how loud they were being.

He tried looking around. His head was a swirling pool of pain, but he still forced it to move despite his body's protest. The walls around him were a white creme color with multiple doors lining them.

'Where am I?' 

This place seemed familiar, yet so foreign at the same time. He had been to somewhere like this before, but where? It hurt to try and think about it.

He rolled his head to the other side, seeing a group of men and women running after him, all of them dressed in blue and white outfits. Were they the ones shouting? He really wished they would stop.

His head hurt too much to look any longer. His eyes closed; he was tired and sleepy, but those two were the same thing, weren't they? He laughed to himself, words were funny. So many of them, yet a lot of them meant the same thing.

"Shit, he's delirious! He might have a concussion too!" Delirious? Concussion? Those were fun words too. What did they mean again? He knew the meaning of them; he knows he does, but try as he might the answer wouldn't come.

Why was it so hard to remember things? What had happened? All he remembered was lot's of explosions and screaming, that and cold green goo.

"Come on, kid; you better stay with me!" That voice sounded familiar. Did he know them? He wasn't sure; it felt like he did, though. He was so tired. Why was he this tired?

"Fuck! Deku!" Who was that? They were even louder than the others. "Fuck, wait! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" His voice raised. 'Please stop yelling.'

"I'm sorry, sir, but we can't allow you to see him right now. His current guardian has asked that you not be allowed near the patient." 

"THE FUCK YOU MEAN I CAN"T SEE HIM! Hey! Let me go, you fucker!"

"Sir, you're disturbing the other patients! I'm going to have to ask you to leave!"

"No fucking way! Let me go!" He swore he heard fireworks going off somewhere.

What was even happening? He couldn't bring himself to care at this point.

His eyes closed once more, and when they opened, he wasn't moving anymore. He was stationary in an unfamiliar room.

'Where am I?' His head was scrambling to find an answer. He tried to move, but it was like his legs were made of lead... He couldn't even feel his arms.

"We need to put him under." Another voice. At least this one was unfamiliar; he wouldn't have to worry about trying to remember it.

"Doctor, I'm not sure if he'll make it. He lost to much blood as it is." 

What was happening now? He groaned, trying to see if he could look at the pair. Now, however, even his neck was too heavy to move.

He was still tired; maybe he should go back to sleep. Sleep sounded heavenly right now.

His eyes closed one last time.

...

Beep... Beep... Beep...

T.J. Combo could only stare at the broken body of the kid he had been training. The hell was that kid thinking?! Running in there without a plan, he had taught him better than that.

Still, the kid bought enough time for the heroes to make their move. That was his dilemma.

On the one hand, he was pissed at the kid for doing something so stupid. On the other, he had acted like a true hero. That was what they were training him to be after all. 

Shit, he never expected to be put in this kind of situation. And definitely not this early!

He had only known the kid for a month, and he was already about to watch him die.

"Shit. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"I'd recommend you pull yourself together first." Oh fuck. He did not need to see him right now. 

"Really, how could you have let something like this happen? You should know better than this."

He looked up to see a lean, built man of medium height. Long dark blonde, almost brown hair came a little past his shoulders and was tied up in a neat bun. His name tag read "Dr. Hakase Hatsume," and he was the last person in the world he needed to see right now.

A rough sigh escaped his lips, why did it have to be him? They could have gone to any hospital... but they had to choose the one Hakase worked at. Why the hell did he ever move to Japan?

"What do you want, Hakase? Can't you see I'm busy?" 

The doctor just stared, his face masked and unreadable. When he spoke, it was in a monotone voice that never allowed too much emotion to seep into it. "Busy? With what? All I see you doing is sitting here, doing nothing. Honestly, what has gotten into you?" 

This was why he couldn't stand this guy. An expressionless man who went by logic rather than emotion, regularly mocking those he found too emotional. From what he heard, he married a woman who would sit at home with machines instead of talking to people.

He really hoped those two never had a kid.

"Well, my kid just got his arms cut off by a villain. So I'd say I have every right to be pissed... How's he doing anyway?"

Hakase seemed content to let the conversation move in this direction.

"He's stable. The issue is that it wasn't a clean-cut, add that to the infection that set in due to the nature of the sludge... He's lucky to even be alive. He also has a minor concussion, severe damage to the nerves in his arms, a broken leg, and half a dozen cracked or fractured ribs. He's unconscious now, but the operation was a success."

Combo let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. 'At least the kid will live.' 

"He's not out of the woods yet, so to speak. There's still the problem of finding him prosthetics. I'm afraid the ones we have on hand aren't suitable for someone his size. We can put in a request for some, but with his... ahem quirkless nature... how long it would take for them to arrive is still a gamble."

The news seemed to keep getting worse. Goddamnit, why couldn't he catch a break? 

'Wait a minute, what about mine.' He glanced up at the doctor, a small grin spreading on his face. "Hey, Hakase, what about a copy of my old implants?" 

The doctor looked at him as if he was an idiot. "You do realize there is a difference between implants and prosthetics, don't you? Your implants were placed over the radius, ulna, and humerus. While his humerus is still intact, he doesn't have the other two."

Another reminder of what had happened.

Combo sucked his teeth, deep in thought on how to fix this. "Tell me, is it possible for you to reverse engineer them? To use them as a base for the prosthetics?"

The withering glare the doctor sent his way would have been the end of this discussion if it was anyone else but him. "I suppose it could be, but the cost alone would be tremendous. Not to mention, we would have to find a way to replace the bones itself. I'm afraid that would be highly..." 

"It's possible then?" Cutting of Hakase was a death wish for most situations, but as it stood, he didn't care. 

The doctor gave one last sigh. "Yes. Yes, it's possible, highly difficult, but not impossible." Combo smiled. "However, we would need a functional copy of its design, and near as I can tell, you destroyed those along with the original."

His face fell. This wasn't good. 'I promised I would never... No, his life is more important.' "What if I still had the original?" 

Hakase looked at him. Before in a manner not un-similar to Midoriya's began to mutter to himself, going over every possibility for how to make it work. It continued like this for a solid fifteen minutes, Hakase's mumbling was not uncommon, but it was rare to see it at this level.

"It could work." Well, that was quicker than expected. "If we were to cast the titanium over his bones, it's possible to make a makeshift bone. We could even make it detachable if we add a ball and socket. The issue would be that your implants would only make the inner arm. We would have to find a way to make an "arm" of sorts to put over it." 

'And he's mumbling again.' Combo looked on in exasperation. 'Why did I ever save this guy?'

"I think I got the rough idea for how we should do this. Let me contact my wife, she works for a support company, but I'm sure they'll be happy to fashion an arm for a hero in training."

'Oh yeah, that's why.' Combo let out a rare smile giving him a thankful nod. "Thanks, Hakase, I'm sure whatever they make will be good."

With that, T.J. Combo got up to leave, content to let the doctor do his work. Only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

He looked back, the steely yellow eyes of Hakase staring deep into his own. "Tyler." Oh Shit. "What is it that you want from that boy?" It was a rare day when the boxer was stunned to silence, but as he looked again, no words would escape his mouth.

Finally, after a solid minute of complete silence, Hakase spoke once more. "I suppose it's not my place to ask, but Tyler? He's just a kid. I don't know what you want from him, but if this is some sort of scheme to get back at UltraTech, then give up. UltraTech is gone. You, Orchid, and I saw personally to that."

And with that, the doctor left to go make a call to his wife's support company.

T.J. had a lot to think about.

...

A week had passed, and Midoriya was still in his coma, slipping in and out of consciousness. The doctors had managed to stabilize the boy, and now it was merely a waiting game. 

His arms had come in. Along with a bunch of legal issues, those were an afterthought, however. They had been attached, the implants serving as a base.  
  
They had been melted into his humerus, graphed over it as a sort of extension that took the rough shape of a human's skeletal system. What came next was the hard part. 

The implants served as the "bones," so to speak, but they needed the "muscles and skin." That was where the prosthetics themselves came in. Titanium re-enforced with tungsten, all of which was covered in a lightweight Kevlar. Hakase had to give it to his wife, she was a damn fine inventor.

The arms alone were capable of putting out over seventy five-thousand pounds of force, easily over five times the power of the original. Add fire resistance, and the fact it was capable of trading blows with even the most powerful of villains, then you had a kid that would be a force to be reckoned with.

On max power, well, the boy would likely be a match for All Might... Even if it would only be a second.

Still, Hakase couldn't help but wonder what Tyler's goal was here. From what he could tell the kid wasn't anything special. He was quirkless for one, and plain to look at, if you ever saw him in a crowd, you wouldn't be able to point him out later. Tyler was quirkless to, he knew that, but was it only the lack of a quirk that had drawn the boxer in? He had some serious doubts about that.

It didn't matter now though, he had a patient to attend to.

...

Midoriya's eye's fluttered open, he was groggy, and more than a little confused when he saw the porcelain white of the ceiling instead of the Combo Gym's standard light reddish color.

"Where am I?" His voice was hoarse from its long period without use. 

"You're in a hospital, young man." He jumped at the sound of a voice to his right. He turned his head, staring at the blank look of the doctor.

The doctor stared with what almost appeared to be annoyance. "You had your arms cut off by a rampaging villain. Do you not remember?" That-that was a lot blunter than he imagined it would be.

"I-I..." That was as far as he got before the doctor sent him another withering glare. He closed his mouth, no longer able to take the man's stare.

The man sighed as he looked down at his patient. "You were fortunate that you didn't die from blood loss. As far as I can tell, you've made a full recovery too. Though it's still too early to say if you're completely fine. I was tempted to add insanity to your list of injuries."

Was he joking with him? He honestly couldn't tell. He tried to sit up, his upper torso screaming in protest after it's long period of inactivity. He felt heavy, well heavier than he should even in the given circumstances.

He looked down at the mass of metal that had come to replace his arms, stretching all the way up to his shoulders. 'What in the hell?' He stared in horrified fascination at his new mechanical arms.

He moved his finger, listening to the mechanical whir of the joints. It was... fascinating. He closed his hand the action itself felt no different than when he would do it with his real arms. As strange as that was, it was by far the least exciting thing about them.

He could still feel the things he touched as if his arms never got replaced.

"I-I can feel. That shouldn't be possible." The doctor actually hummed in response this time, seemingly enjoying the look of wonder on the boy's face.

"You can't really feel things; it's just your body playing tricks on your mind. We hooked them up to your nerves and gave them pressure sensors. They'll be more potent than when you had your arms, but don't expect them to be some sort of echolocation device." 

He stared in fascination. "Dr. Hatsume. What can these do?" The question escaped his mouth before he realized he was saying it. 

The doctor gave him a rare smile, one he only reserved for those he respected. "A lot." It may have seemed like a simple reply, but to Midoriya, it meant the world. "Would you like to go test them?"

Izuku snapped his head to the side, looking at the doctor in awe. His only response to the situation was a nod. 

And with that, they were off.

...

Physical therapy was a necessity. That was the conclusion Hakase came to after watching the boy tear a punching bag in half with one punch. Not to mention, he couldn't even lift up an egg without crushing it in his hands instantly.

It wasn't the boy's fault necessarily. He was just operating the prosthetics the same way he would his arms; they were just too powerful for him to get a standard for his strength.

That had been their first goal. Starting off small, they had the boy picking up eggs until he was yelling in frustration at the previously mundane task. It was three days before they could get him to pick up one in ten eggs without breaking the shell, and another week before he could do it with no issue.

It might have seemed small, but it was a tremendous start. The fragile state of the eggs would give them a starting base. His wife had come out to tweak the prosthetics. Giving them a pressure valve so he could regulate how much force he would apply. Another breakthrough that he was proud of.

They did find one issue, though. He was starting to become aggressive and dismissive. It was small at first, barely even noticeable. 

Now? He would continuously shrug off any help offered to him by the staff. It was... challenging, to say the least. His reason for his anger became apparent, though. Bakugo had not been allowed to visit him once.

And the boy thought that Bakugo really didn't care.

Hakase still remembers all the injured staff he had to deal with after the explosive boy's rampage to get to Midoriya.

What was worse, he had promised Tyler to never tell the boy about Bakugo coming to see him. He was beginning to think that was the wrong decision.

He shuddered at the thought of what would happen when they met again, and sadly that would arrive sooner than expected.

It was around three months later when his therapy would come far enough to allow him out of the hospital. He was supposed to return to school today.

Needless to say, the boy was not looking forward to it.

...

Midoriya stood at the front gates to his school, whispers about his return swirled around him, but he didn't care. 

Black gloves covered his hands. He didn't need the other kids staring at them throughout the class period. A few new scars lined his body, and while most were on his chest and back, he still had a few visible ones on his neck and face. Most were light enough that he hoped people wouldn't notice.

Walking down the hallway was definitely different, though. Looks of admiration and contempt were being thrown his way instead of spitballs and insults. The school seemed to be almost split down the middle in that sense. 

The quirkless hero who saved the strongest guy in their school, and the suicidal idiot that tried to throw his life away. Well, he preferred this to the alternative he supposed.

When he entered the classroom, it wasn't in his usual meek and quiet way. He walked in with purpose, a few of the students looking up at the boy. Various levels of surprise stretched across his classmate's faces. Whether it was because of his return or his entrance, he didn't care.

...

Class was different, to say the least. Midoriya hadn't even had a chance to sit down before the teacher announced his return. The classroom would sing his praises, commenting on how brave he was and how hard it must have been in the hospital. If it was the old him, he probably would have been ecstatic. Now, all it was doing was **Pissing. Him. Off.**

No one cared enough to visit him in the hospital, so why should they bother now. He remained quiet, though. A hero doesn't give in to selfish desires. He knew this. 

He had managed to hold in his anger for most of the school day, it was only after it was over and everyone was heading home did he finally snap.

He was approached by Bakugo's two lackies, a few of the students in his class stood behind them. "Hey Midoriya, how's about you, me, and the others go do something? The arcade near here is pretty good. I even heard they're getting a new All Might machine." The others stared somewhat expectantly as if his answer actually mattered.

"I'm fine. You guys go on ahead, I've got other things to do." It was a surprise to the kids behind him. In the past, Midoriya would have jumped at the opportunity to spend time with the other students.

A few of the students glanced at each other before Homura Akari stepped forward. A friendly smile on her face, as tense as it was, her orange hair swaying to the sides. "What about karaoke? There's this really cool place nearby. Maybe you could sing something with us..." It was more of a question than an offer.

"I'm fine." It came out more like a growl than what he intended. She was one of the nicer ones in his class, well his standards for nice were pretty low compared to others.

During all of this, he had not once turned around to address them properly. He was still packing his books into his bag too.

A few of his classmates took a step back, the others sharing a nervous glance between each other. Had they gone too far?

This time it was Adri who stepped forward, his rock-like fist held up in an offering. "Maybe we could try tomorrow or something, I mean there this good restaurant..." The sound of metal clamping down upon itself filled the class. Despite the quietness of the action, it had brought the room to silence.

Slowly he turned, his eyes lacking their usual warmth and nervousness. 

These were the eyes of a fighter ready to take the first swing.

His gaze held for what felt like an eternity before he finally spoke. "You've all never given a damn about me before there's no need you to start now. I'll. **Pass**." And with that, he was gone, walking past them as they moved out of his way.

That was not the cinnamon roll they all knew.

That was a man who was finally done with all the shit he had to be put through.

...

Midoriya was angry, maybe pissed was a better word for it. Even after everything that had happened, they were still looking down on him. No, not looking down, they were pitying him. He wasn't sure what was worse.

He walked down the road to Combo Gym, doing his best to calm down before he entered the ring. He loved this road, though, the so-called "gangsters and thugs" of the neighborhood calling out to him in greeting.

"It's good to see you back, kid!"  
"It's been a while! Why don't we have a cookout tonight?"  
"Yo, Minnow! Where you been?!" 

He loved those guys. They didn't care that he was quirkless, nor did they ever bring it up in anything other than a joke. Real jokes, not like those his classmates said. 

So he greeted them back, calling out hello's and how are you's to the people he passed catching a baseball that came rocketing towards him from the neighborhood kids. He smirked, throwing it back to them and watching in amusement as it soared away from them. Their wide-eyed expressions of wonder at the distance quickly overcome by their fear of losing their ball.

He openly laughed as the scampered away, trying to catch it, a few of the adults on the street joining him. 

He felt better now, it might have been a run-down place, but it was home.

Midoriya continued walking until a large shadow loomed over him. He looked back to see a twelve-foot hulking behemoth of a man. He glared up at the man as he was scooped up and brought to his face.

The man's stare continued like this for a while, his lips opening to reveal long jagged teeth that appeared more like daggers than anything else. The man would have been terrifying if he didn't already know him.

"Hey, Tyrese. It's been a while." Midoriya smiled at the giant before returning the hug. Tyrese was a monster of a man when it came to appearance, but a gentle kitten in personality.

"Are... Going to... Gym?" His voice was heavy and rough, his speech going in and out of broken Japanese. "Yeah, I'm on my way there now. Did you need Combo-sensei for something?"

The giant shook his head before pulling out a surprisingly small cookie box. "I... Bake them... Share with... T.J." He smiled again, he always loved Tyrese's cookies.

"Don't worry, I will." The giant put him down. His head nodding slowly, before he headed back inside his home.

He opened the box, chocolate chip, just how he liked them.

God, he loved this place.

...

When he arrived at Combo Gym, T.J. was already waiting at the door. The boxer smirked before leading Midoriya in without a word, and the boy followed without complaint.

A shower followed by a change of clothes and stretching, he was ready to start their match. 

The ring was the only place he was comfortable enough to show his arms. The black metallic surface of his prosthetics glowed lightly under the lights. He liked his arms when he was at the gym, they were a source of pride. The issue was when he left, then they were just a sign of failure.

A right hook caught his face while he was lost in his own world, his body flying back and making brutal contact with the poll. He gasped as he looked up at his teacher. "The hell you zoning out for kid? I thought I trained you better than that."

Oh, right, the second he entered the ring, he was in a war zone.

Combo-sensei proved that every single time he stepped in.

"Come on, kid put them up." He complied, raising his arms as they circled each other. Then like lightning, Combo stuck. His fist soring and making contact with his metallic arms. He felt the vibrations as they pushed against each other. Finally, Combo pulled back, throwing a left hook over the boy's guard and catching him the temple.

He staggered, another blow making contact with his gut and knocking the wind out of him. Combo threw another jab at him, this time, however, he managed to slip under it and drive a blow into T.J.'s unguarded sides.

A small grunt from the blow was his reward. The two continued like this for a while, trading blow for blow and driving each other into a corner. Midoriya had skill Combo would gladly admit that he had power and speed he'd admit that too. Still, he lacked the experience that the elder boxer had. And at the end of the day, the experience was the deciding factor.

There was something off about Midoriya today, though. The boxer couldn't place it, but it just felt... wrong. Like he was a burning ball of rage ready to lash out at anyone who got to close. He wasn't even smiling throughout the match like he always did.

"Get up, kid, let's go another round." Midoriya did just that, staggering to his feet as he wiped some of the blood from his mouth. Dropping into his fighting stance, he rushed Combo, trying to land a telling blow as early as he could.

Combo simply sidestepped, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You're getting sloppy, kid. That's not like you." The kid growled, his frustration from earlier coming back in force. Another swing missed, then another, and another. 

Why couldn't he hit him!

"The hell is wrong with you, kid? You've never acted like this before. Why are you so angry?" It was asked as he ducked under another swing, a jab making contact with the boy's ribs.

"Shut up!" The match seemed to stop. Both parties looking at each other in shock, until the boy's eyes closed. "Just please shut up. I know I'm being sloppy, you don't have to tell me that." His eyes snapped open, his heated glare faced at his teacher. 

"The kids at school all thought I was some sort of charity case. They kept looking down on me. Like I need their help. It's pissing me off! Kacchan didn't even have the guts to show up! After everything I've done! He..."

Another punch was thrown, Combo's blow making brutal contact with Midoriya's cheek. A small tear formed on his face from the strike.

"The hell was that..." The boy was interrupted halfway through his sentence by another punch. "I thought I told you to never fight angry. It clouds your judgment when you let it control you."

"Like you have any room to talk! Your entire fighting style is to get the crap kicked out of you until you get mad enough to go berserk!"

The man snorted; he had to give the kid that one. "There's a different kid, I'm using it you're letting it control you. Come on, I know you're not done yet."

Midoriya rose to his feet once more, anger burning in his eyes than before. "Would you shut up! All you ever do is berate me! 'You're not fast enough, you're not strong enough, you're reckless,' I fucking know that!" He failed to notice beams of green light coming from his body.

Combo, however, did, and his eyes widened in response.

"I get it! It was reckless to try to save someone who never gave a damn! To expect things to go back to normal after all that's happened!" The lines glowed brighter, and his swings came faster, Combo barely able to dodge the incoming series of fists.

"I know I'm useless! That I'm quirkless! That I'll never be a hero! But can't I at least try!?" The glow reached an all-time high before seemingly ripping itself out of his scar and cuts. It flashed like neon lights as he continued to swing, leaving light trails in his wake.

"I KNOW I'M BETTER OFF DEAD! BUT FOR ONCE CAN THEY AT LEAST GIVE ME A CHANCE!?" The swings came faster than T.J. could dodge. A few glancing hits alone felt like they were cracking ribs.

"**WHY CAN'T FOR ONCE SOMEONE BELIEVE IN ME!?**" The last swing drilled into Combos raised guard, sending him flying and destroying the ring in the process.

The kid finally stopped his rampage to glance at the damage around him. The ring was destroyed, a few lights were busted from the sheer wind pressure of his blows, and there was a Combo sized hole in the middle of the room.

What the hell had happened? He glanced down at his arms, taking notice of the green light glowing softly from his body. He gazed in wonder. What was this? He felt... light. Like someone had removed a boulder from his shoulders. He felt stronger, faster, better. Midoriya had no words to describe what he felt, but he knew he liked it.

"Well, if that's how you want to play this... Then let's go." He looked up Combo-sensei walking through the new hole in the wall. Bright baby blue light glowing from his scars. He knew those lights... Combo had gone berserk.

He took a step back. What had he done to piss him off? He searched his memory, trying desperately to remember, yet everything for the past few moments had gone blank. Shit, he was screwed.

T.J. suddenly shot forward, yet his movements seemed slower than usual. Not slow motion mind you, but he could actually see the swings coming. Midoriya moved under the blow. 'Did I get faster?' Before throwing his own. It had so much extra force behind it what was happening.

"You can feel it, can't you? That unrelenting raw power. That's what happens when you channel your frustration instead of letting it control you. Focus, kid, feel it flow throughout your body."

The boy did, trying desperately to keep the powers flow. What was happening? Combo smirked, "Can you feel it, kid? Let out your anger; don't bottle it up. Come on!" With that, T.J. charged again, taking a swing at his student. Another dodge and counter punch. A right hook, blocked, and a jab. He threw his own jab, counter with a left cross. 

This kid was getting good. Their second round continued, blow after blow both landed and received. It was incredible to the two of them. Letting out all the frustration that had been rapidly building throughout the day. 

What was this? Better question what could he do to make it last longer?

It continued on like this for hours, the neighborhood shaking under the force of the two titans that were clashing. Posters and trophies were ripped from walls and shelves, glass shattering under strain. The neighbors had even come to watch, cheering from outside the door to the gym. Some taking bets on who would win.

And in the end, one champion finally fell. Midoriya's unconscious body hitting the floor with an exhausted thump. Combo wasn't faring much better though, breath heavy and gasping. He felt thrilled after that fight. He hadn't felt this good since he fought Balrog! The people eventually left filtering out after checking to make sure the boy was still fine.

He knew this was his kind of neighborhood the second he found it.

...

Midoriya's eye slowly creaked open with a grown. "Did anyone get the license plate on the truck that hit me?" He heard a chuckle to his left, looking over he saw the form of T.J. sitting in the corner a bottle of water in his hand.

Wordlessly he stood up and strode over to the elder boxer. "What happened to me?" Combo simply looked at him, before laughing once more. "You entered a berserkers rage. I don't know how you did it, but you did. Shit kid, how much are you going to surprise me?"

Midoriya looked down at his feet, mumbling about this newfound information. 'How is this possible? Combo-sensei is only able to enter it because of the serum they injected into him. Did they inject me to? No, that seems unlikely. But then how did I activate it? I couldn't have...' "Your mumbling again, kid." 

Let it be known that his mumbling would never die. No matter how many times he almost did.

Combo looked at him more. The kid was good sure, but he couldn't reach his full potential cooped up in his little gym. No, he needed to take the kid somewhere to work out. He thought for a while, trying to find a way to get the kid his workout in.

And in an almost 'Aha!' fashion, he snapped his finger, remembering a beach that was near the gym. What was its name again? It didn't matter, the place was a total dump when it came down to it. Littered with all kinds of heavy scrap. He swore he even saw a truck down there one day! Perfect for the boy's training.

"Hey kid, how would you like to start your first heroic act?"

Midoriya only looked up his eyes widening in response. He nodded a happy smile spreading across his face. 

Now that was the kid Combo knew.


	4. Chapter 4

"You know when you said we were going to start my first heroic act... I didn't expect you to bring me to a dump."

Midoriya stared at the beached turned scrapyard. He had to admit it was pretty bad. And why the hell was there a truck just sitting in the middle of it all?

A question for another day.

"Come on, kid. A real hero does good for the sake of doing good, not for fame. Besides, I heard this used to be a beautiful beach." Not the best logic, but Midoriya supposed it counted.

"Fine, let's just get this over with." Midoriya's rough sigh carried throughout the beach.

He made his way over to one of the many piles of scrap that had lined the beach, reaching for it slowly, he grasped the first piece of metal before pulling it out of the mountain of trash.

'This is surprisingly easy.' His mechanical arms were more than capable of taking down the heaps of trash.

"Hey kid, what the hell do you think you're doing? Who said you were allowed to use your arms?"

'Wait. What?' The boy turned back to look at the elder boxer, a smug grin lining the man's face. "If you used those, then there would be no point in doing all of this."

'What happened to a real hero does good for the sake of doing good?'

He sighed once more before detaching his arms, letting them fall to the ground with a heavy thump. "Is this better?" 

"Yeah, kid, now start moving the trash; your goal is to clear this entire beach before the U.A. exam in ten months. If you can do that, you'll have completed the first step to achieving your dream." 

It would have been a near-impossible task for anyone else, but Midoriya had learned early on in his training with T.J. that the word "impossible" didn't apply to them. 

"Fine, let's just get this over with."

And that started the five months of hell that combo called training.

The first month had been him clearing all of the big trash that was easily accessible. Sounded easy on paper, but when you're pulling a refrigerator across a wet beach with your teeth, you tend to rethink the simplicity of the task.

The second month was more relaxing; it just involved me running around with tires on my shoulders along with a few microwaves and other small appliances.

It was during the third month that I had been allowed to take a break. Well, it was more like Combo-sensei had to go on a trip to meet "an old friend."

His last words to me before leaving were to quote: "Do whatever the hell you want, just don't wreck my gym." And so I took it as a chance to rest and have fun.

I would have continued to work on the beach, but Combo-sensei decided that a break was in order too. 

Basically, he bolted the gate to the beach closed and hid my arms from me.

I punched him in the face when he got back.

Luckily my break wasn't all for not. 

And it all started when I took a trip to Iwakuni.

........

Walking down the streets of Iwakuni, Midoriya decided to look at the attractions. He had to admit that the area was impressive.

Or at least it would have been if he at least had his arms.

Getting on the train to the area had been a nightmare. The passengers stared and gawked at him, not to mention getting a ticket.

One kid had even come up to ask him where his arms were.

His response had been, "A muscle brained boxer thought it would be funny to take them with him."

Getting off the train had been even worse.

When he arrived, it had been nice for a while, looking at the scenery, the statues, and enjoying the history. However, a group of Americans decided that he would be the new attraction they were looking for.

They had taken so many pictures of him when they thought he wasn't looking. 

They had even gone so far as to make fun of him in English thing he couldn't speak it; the look on their faces when he told them to stop in their native tongue had made the whole experience worth it, though.

Eventually, he had had enough of being the newest attraction to Iwakuni and slipped inside a music store, more than a few groups desperately looking around to see if they could spot the man.

He released a sigh of relief when they finally gave up.

Wondering around the store hadn't been so bad, though. It had a nice selection of songs, a few of the more classic covers, and an owner who was missing a leg, so he didn't have to worry about everyone staring at him.

Well, it did help that only one other person was in there at the time — a girl who gave off the whole punk rock vibe. Long earphone jacks hung from well her ears.

He smiled; she seemed too engrossed in her music to even worry about him, looking through their selection and staring longingly at a guitar that was hanging from one of the brackets.

He wandered off to his own section of the store, enjoying the few minutes of peace he would get before he would have to inevitably go back outside.

He even found a CD that he was sure Combo-sensei would like. 

It had been an old English cover of his fight song from when he was still in the Heavy Weight championships. The main attraction to the disk being his personal intro song: "I'm back to rise." 

If he remembered correctly, it was played during his fight with the "Crazy Buffalo Balrog," a boxer that T.J. had described as a crude and cheap man.

He stared at it for a few seconds longer, then looked down at his arms.

His brow furrowed once again.

Well, I guess this is what he gets for falling asleep before Combo-sensei did.

He tried reaching out for the CD, the stumps of his arms grazing against the top as he struggled to pull the disk from its place on the shelf.

He had almost given up when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, uh, do you need some help?" It had been the girl from earlier. 

She stared at him for a few seconds, distinctly uncomfortable with the situation she was in.

"If you don't mind. I'm just trying to grab the disk here."

He pointed with the stump of his arm, finding it slightly funny when the girl tried to look away from his arm. 

She snaked her arm out, trying to avoid touching him; he almost burst out laughing at this, before handing him the disk.

His amusement only increased when she awkwardly withdrew it, realizing that he couldn't take it from her.

"I'll uh, take it to the counter for you."

When she finally left, he couldn't help it anymore and broke out in silent giggles. It had been a while since someone had responded like that to his "disability."

He followed her up to the counter shortly afterward, smiling at her when she awkwardly shuffled back to make room for him. He placed his wallet on the table using the crook of his arm before carefully pulling out the item's correct amount.

He thanked her and left, getting her name in the process.

"Jirou... huh, that's a nice name."

All in all, the trip was worthwhile.

..............

When Combo-sensei finally returned, Midoriya gave him his promised punch to the face before returning to work; he spent the last two months cleaning any remaining leftovers.

Five more months to go before the U.A. entrance exam, and he had no intention of wasting it.


End file.
